BR animal shelter gets new director

The Associated Press

February 17, 2013 12:31 PM

The Associated Press

February 17, 2013 12:31 PM

Weathering disaster is nothing new for the new director of Baton Rouge's public animal shelter.

Beth Brewster started her job at St. Tammany Humane Society a day after Hurricane Rita struck in 2005, and helped replace the Hurricane Katrina-damaged shelter in St. Bernard Parish when she led St. Bernard Parish Animal Services from 2009 until this year.

"I'm used to jumping into the fire," she said.

Though the Companion Animal Alliance has been spared by storms, it has endured other disasters, including a revolving door of leadership, investigations revealing mismanagement and overcrowding and a mutiny by employees who complained a former director was breaking veterinary protocols.

Brewster, however, said she is unfazed.

Brewster tells The Advocate (http://bit.ly/Xyih2T) she is equipped to address the agency's challenges and help the CAA meet its long-term goals of becoming a no-kill shelter and building a new facility, and hiring an operations manager.

"I might be a little naive, but I don't see any insurmountable challenges here," Brewster said.

The city-parish's animal shelter used to be run by its Animal Control Department, but after years of complaints about the high euthanasia rate, the city-parish formed a public-private partnership with the CAA that allows that organization to run the shelter.

Brewster said building a new shelter would be her "absolute priority."

"It might be as far out as two years, but I'm hoping sooner," she said.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation would lead the fundraising effort, she said.

The current shelter takes in up to 9,000 animals per year. Brewster said she's ultimately working toward not having to euthanize for space, and only killing animals that are not "healthy and adoptable."